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Comments
Arrgh..................no, no, no, please no! :surprise:
Go to post #14 (or click here) to understand backspacing.
If you want to change backspacing change the wheels or use a properly engineered spacer. Never space out the wheels with washers!
The only time washers are used is for limiting the steering travel to prevent tires rubbing at full lock. In that case they're placed behind the steering stops on the knuckles.
Check out that post (#14) by Tom, it explains things very clearly.
2002 Wrangler Sport, 4.0, Auto, new to me Jeep! Will be buying new rims and tires.
2: Some, but minimal.
3: Not as long as you plan for the possibility for a motor mount lift (or transfer case drop) if necessary.
2: Some, but minimal.
3: Not as long as you plan for the possibility for a motor mount lift (or transfer case drop) if necessary.
What mac said, but to expand. 31's should fit with no problem on your stock suspension. BUT, a 2" lift will set you up if you want to go up to 32's down the road. 31's will still look nice with a 2" lift and you'll have lotsa room for flex.
It is not a waste as you do get a nicer tire/aggressive look with that lift.
You shouldn't have a vibe problem with that lift, but a motor mount lift will really cure that (that is one way to fix the potential problem, and probably the cheapest unless you want to lower the t-case, which seems backwards to me). Death wobble again shouldn't be an issue, but each Jeep is different. If you ensure all steering linkages are secure like they are supposed to be, your tires are well balanced, and your steering geometry is relatively stock, you should be good.
-Paul
After deciding with 32" tires, I'm just going with a 2" lift. I'm assuming that is all I need.
Also, after reading Tom's post, and an article on TireRack, I'm still a little confused about backspacing. Assuming the stock rims on the Jeep have 5.5 backspacing (I know I read that somewhere), if I go from 30x9.5 to 32x11.5, does that mean I need an additional 2" of backspacing, meaning I want a rim with 3.5" backspacing? Or do I want 7.5"? Or does it even matter??
Thanks!
5.5" BS and 32x11.5's will rub when you turn. You can adjust the steering stops by adding washers to THEM, as described at http://www.4x4xplor.com/steerstop.html.
Here are the SpiderTrax spacers, as installed on my rear drums:
-Paul
I don't remember your tire and lift question relating to an accident, but why is getting a new axle bad news? Unless you have no insurance I'd jump at it. There could well be internal damage associated with the impact, but it may not be apparent for a few thousand miles. Unless the axle housing has been stripped and measured you can't tell that it's still straight.
However, assuming that the housing is straight and is internally undamaged, it's no big deal to cut off, straighten, then reweld a mounting bracket. It just requires careful measuring.
Most aftermarket axle suppliers (like Currie) carry rear brackets and you may be able to modify one of those, but straightening the bent one or just fabricating a new one would probably be more cost effective.
ask em for a D44 front axle from a Rubicon! Just make sure they have the same gearing as the rear.
Dana 30's are stock, but if you can manage a Rubicon D44, that'd be sweet. You can also possibly work it out to get Super 30 shafts, which are stronger than the stock shafts. Use this opportunity to go with stronger u-joints too, and you'll be much better off should you decide to venture offroad with it.
Remember, there are no accidents - just opportunities to mod and upgrade!
-Paul
Paul, I like the philosophy, "opportunities to mod and upgrade" That works for me.
If this is a vehicle on a dealer's lot, I'm sure you can negotiate with the dealer to get what you want, but I doubt that it'll be cheap.
Is it optimal for offroading? No.
Consider suspension flex and tires will rub w/o a proper lift. Also, depending on tire width and wheel backspacing, you will likely have rubbing when turning on the road (usually near or at full turn).
-Paul
What size lift is it? Pics would help. If tall enough, 33's will fit vertically and be okay offroad when flexing and stuffing the tires up into the fender.
What kind of wheels do you have? If they are stock, you will have issues rubbing at full lock/turn. If they are aftermarket, you're probably better off as they likely have less than the 5.5" of backspacing (smaller number = less 'tucked in' they are).
If you have a shorter lift, say around 3" total, you CAN run 33's, but you may want to extend the bumpstop so they don't fully stuff into the fender when offroad. Otherwise, you risk the tires getting sliced by the metal or the tires destroying the flares/fenders.
I have 4.5" total lift (3.25" suspension and 1.25" body) and run 33's without any problems. I have 4.25" of backspacing and only have a bit of rubbing when offoad at full turn and when flexed.
-Paul
Sounds like you may just have a budget boost. Do you have spacers on top of the springs at all 4 corners? Pics of the suspension components and/or pics of the body/frame mounting points would help me figure out your height and I could provide better ideas then.
-Paul
So, here is my question:
What is the largest sized tire and wheel package I can throw under this pup without any rubbing? Does anyone know where I can find rims? (I doubt they've revolutionized their wheel specs for '08, but I can't seem to find any dealers that carry what I'm looking for online). Ideally, I want powder coat black rims between 17 and 18" with 31 or 32"rs. If anyone knows of any pitfalls with this set-up, or if I can safely go bigger, please alert me.
Thanks!
You can fix this problem in a few ways:
1. Make steering stop adjustments as shown at 4x4xplor.com's website
2. Go with wheels with less backspacing than the stock 5.5" that come on most Jeeps (other than Rubicons).
3. Add wheel spacers. I run 1.25" Spidertrax spacers on my stock Jeep Canyon wheels so I have an effective backspacing of 4.25". They stick out a bit more. I have 33x12.5" tires.
31" tall tires are more likely rub when flexing offroad and stuff a bit into the fender well. Proper fix for that is to adjust the bumpstops located 'inside' the spring at the top. If you look at that area, you'll see what I mean.
When I put my 33's on, I also regeared my differentials from 4.10 to 4.88 (2.5L engine here). That combination of 4.88, 33's and my transmission actually made my speedo MORE accurate than it was previously (I had gone from the stock 28" tires to 30" tires prior to the 33's).
Getting the speedo set back to accurate will require you to know your tire size and your current differential gearing. Look at this information and you can tell which speedo gear you'd need.
http://www.raingler.com/jeepReference/speedoChart.html
A lift does nothing more than allow to fit those bigger tires. If you only want to go to 31's, a lift isn't required. Having said that, Jeeps do LOOK better when lifted a bit and they perform even better offroad when lifted as you have better clearance under the axles with those larger tires.
-Paul
For fitment, you need to consider the overall tire diameter (32, 33", etc) and the wheels backspacing. Backspacing refers to the wheel's offset and how far in or out the wheel sits in relation to the rest of the Jeep.
TJ's stock offset is 5.5". I added 1.25" spacers to mine to reduce the offset to 4.25". As a result, the lower backspacing sticks the wheel out further. I'm not sure what the offset is on your JK's wheels, but if you have a stock height JK, you can probably run 32's or 33's w/o lifting. At least that is what I THINK I've heard.
-Paul
Thanks,
Disney
Check out some of the online vendors and I'm sure you'll find something you can use. I just don't know enough about YJ suspension manufacturers to tell you specifically what would be best for you.
Then you have to factor in budget. You can go TOTALLY crazy with it too.
-Paul
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
My car: 2003 Jeep Wrangler X (TJ). Totally stock (no lift etc) including the OEM tires/wheels: P225/75R/15 (Goodyear Wrangler GS-A tires).
I'd like to put 30x9.50x15 tires on it keeping original rims, and would leave the Jeep stock. My reading here makes me think this would not create problems, e.g. clearance, rubbing etc. Would some kind soul please confirm.
If it's relevant, my off-road driving is so mild, it would probably make most of you snicker, and I do occasionally tow small trailer/ATV; gross weight ~625 lbs.
Thanks very much!
Dan
Those tires will work fine as long as your rims are 6.5 to 8 inches wide.
If it's relevant, my off-road driving is so mild, it would probably make most of you snicker
Not me; I only use my Jeep to haul the dog around and provide guaranteed access to my farm road regardless of the weather.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Just do NOT get the GS-A's again. BFG AT's (or even MT's) would be a great choice for your Jeep. They are very capable offroad yet have good tire wear on the street.
-Paul
Do you have a lift? What size tires?
I'd check all joints in your steering and ensure they are all solid. I'd also consider verifying balance and alignment as those CAN contribute to your problem.
-Paul
There's tons of options out there, but I don't want to have to install a separate swing gate, etc... just to store one tire. I noticed there are some Spare Tire "Spacers" that push your tire out 2" from the gate so it doesn't touch the rear bumper.
Two questions - has anyone one here gone with this and has it worked out?? And more importantly.. what happens with the rear brake light with these? It doesn't seem any of the spacers and/or carriers address the fact that the brake light will be in the way or blocked with the larger tire.
As for the 3rd brake light, you could probably leave it as it sits, or you could remove it, add a few washers to move it up in height, and have it work fine.
I opted for a 3rd party tire carrier as I was going with aftermarket bumpers anyway for offroad use. Provided stronger tire support and body protection. The 3rd brake light is incorporated into the wheel holder (where the center cap usually is).
-Paul
But consider this - how much does that 32x11.5 weigh? Believe me, it is more than you think. That weight, over time WILL affect the hinges and sheet metal holding the tailgate on. Over time, it WILL sag. Maybe not as fast because it rests on the bumper, but opening it up removes that support.
The Bestop Tire Carrier actually attaches to the tub, reinforces it, and attaches to the door, so there is no separate carrier to open - it opens with the door. It was actually my first choice for tire carrier before I opted to go with an offroad bumper/carrier combination. Plus it will work up to a 35" tire AND it uses the OEM 3rd brake light setup. So it can grow with you and the Jeep's size, if you opt to do that.
-Paul
If you are not lifted, I would suspect either the tires are seriously out of balance and/or alignment. Easy fix - get em balanced and aligned or replace with better tires. Other causes may be loose steering components (tie rod, drag link, etc). If the dealer hasn't heard of death wobble, chances are you should find another dealer to work with. It can happen. Another possibility could be the tie rod ends and the holes they mount into are not as tight as they should be.
You may also want to make sure your control arms and shocks are all in good order. A competent mechanic should be able to find loose or worn steering components.
-Paul
The GSA's COULD be a problem as some tires just come the factory out of round and no balancing or aligning will stop that.
Checking the bushings, TRE's, and all joints in the steering for looseness (including the trackbar mount on the frame) are all valid things to check.
Get rid of those GSA's and get some BFG AT's (if you're staying on road) and hopefully things will be better.
-Paul
An excellent tire on virtually all surfaces, on and off road, wet or dry, except for deep or squishy mud.